Enoch osgood



E. OSGOOD Tooth Pick.

Patented Nov. 16,1880.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFieE.

ENOOH OSGOOD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TOOTHPICK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,422, dated November 16, 1880.

Application filed July 28, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ENOOH OSGOOD, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Toothpicks, of which the following is a specification.

Heretofore toothpicks have been made with the picking-blade formed by smooth surface tapering gradually to a point.

My invention consists in a novel form of blade for toothpicks, which is much more efficient for its purpose than the old style.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of a toothpick provided with my improved form of flexible blade, and Fig. 2-is an edge view of the same.

Fig. 1 shows the blade A formed of a thin fiat piece of metal, preferably spring-steel, somewhat like a small knife-blade, and joined to a handle, 13, by any suitable means, as at a. This blade A has one or more notches, I), cut into one of its edges, and instead of a single point has a forked projection or double point, a, at its end. The shape of the notches and point is shown clearly in Fig. 1. The notch extends downward to leave a projecting griping end at the edge of the toothpick.

My improved toothpick-blade practicallyoperates to pick from between the teeth the matter which collects there, and does this much more rapidly and effectually than do the present forms of toothpicks, which are not apt to (No model.)

penetrate what is between the teeth, and also cleanses the teeth during this process by scraping away any impurities, such as tartar, that may have gathered. The double point is especially useful in catching and pushing inward small pieces which would avoid or slip from the old single point, and the notch or notches I) on the edge aid in this,'and also e11- able the user to crowd this edge of the blade up into the contracted spaces between the teeth and to pick out from between them matter which a simple point alone could not possibly reach.

I do not limit myself to the special form or location of the notch or notches 1) shown, as thenotches may be of any desired size and number and on either side of the blade; nor do I limit myself to the peculiar form of point shown, except that the point should be forkshaped 5 nor is it necessary that both the notch Z) and the forked point should be found on the same blade, though I eonsiderit advantageous, yet they may be used separately.

I claim A toothpick constructed with a forked end, 0, and notched edge I), substantially as herein shown and described.

ENOOH OSGOOD.

Witnesses:

HARRY M. TURK, JAMES TURK. 

